Election glossary

This glossary of election temrs is designed to help when reading Commons Library briefings on elections.

Absent vote

Where a voter casts their vote without visiting a polling station. This is either with a postal vote that they fill out and return themselves or ask someone to act as their proxy at a polling station.

For reserved elections applications in Great Britain can be made online. For devolved elections online applications are due to be introduced later in 2026.

The rules for applying for absent votes in Northern Ireland are different. See the Election Office for Northern Ireland.

Absent voter list

Lists of electors who have requested a postal or proxy vote. At an election, candidates have the right to a copy of the lists for the area they are contesting.

Additional Member System (AMS)

In AMS voters have two ballot papers on polling day. One is to elect a constituency representative using first past the post, and the other is to vote for a party. Once all constituency representatives have been elected, party votes are counted across a region made up of several constituencies.

The share of the vote in the regional list ballot is then used to allocate regional list seats. In calculating how many list seats a party is entitled to, constituency seats already won are taken into account. This helps make the result more proportional.

This system is used in Scottish Parliament elections.

All-out elections

Council elections where every council seat is up for election at the same time. Some councils in England elect by halves or thirds.

Annual canvass

Electoral registration officers in Great Britain contact all residential addresses in their area to check whether the electoral register data they hold is complete and accurate.

In Northern Ireland the canvass happens once every ten years. Instead of checking data the register is compiled afresh. Electors must re-register as part of the canvass to remain on the register.

Anonymous registration

Someone can register without their name and address appearing on the register if there are safety reasons for the personal details not appearing. This requires evidence of the risk such as a court order or evidence from a registered medical practitioner or a manager of a refuge for those at risk of domestic abuse or violence.

Attainers

Young people who have not yet reached voting age but can be added to the register in preparation for reaching voting age in the next year or two. They can only vote if they reach voting age on polling day.

Attestation

Sometimes also known as ‘vouching’. Attestation is where a registered voter ‘attests’ that another voter is who they say they are. It is used when someone applying to register to vote cannot prove their identity by providing documentary evidence as part of the exceptions process.

Automatic voter registration

Also known as ‘registration without application’, where public data is used to add people to or update their information on the electoral register without them being required to take active steps. Proposals in the UK are likely to provide potential electors a notification before being added and there will be an option to not be added.

Ballot paper

The voting paper where an elector makes their choice. The ways of filling out the ballot paper depends on the voting system in use.

Bribery

An electoral crime where someone directly or indirectly gives any money or procures any office to or for any voter, in order to induce any voter to vote or not vote.

By-election

An election to fill a vacant seat in parliament, devolved legislature or council when the seat is vacant between scheduled elections. In the closed list electoral system in Senedd elections and regional lists in Scottish Parliament election vacant seats are filled by the next person on the party list used at the previous election.

In Northern Ireland there are no by-elections for council or Assembly seats. Vacant seats are filled by co-option of someone nominated by the political party that held the seat.

Closed list proportional voting

Voters in a multi-member constituency vote for a party rather than a candidate. The party lists their candidates in order on the ballot paper. Seats are allocated in proportion to the number of votes received. If a party wins two seats, the top two candidates on their list are elected. Independents can also stand and they are effectively a list of one.

This system is used in Senedd elections.

Community council

In Wales, community or town councils are elected local councils that are the equivalent of parish councils in England. In Scotland community councils have less power and do not have the legal authority to raise taxes or own property. There is no equivalent in Northern Ireland.

Constituency

The specific geographical area that is represented by an individual MP in the House of Commons or a constituency MSP in the Scottish Parliament.

Under the electoral systems used in Senedd (closed list PR) and Northern Ireland Assembly elections (STV) each constituency elects several members in multi-member constituencies. In the Scottish Parliament regional MSPs are elected in multi-member regions using closed list PR.

Constituent

Someone who lives within a particular constituency.

By convention MPs will only correspond with their own constituents.

In multi-member constituencies in other legislatures a constituent can chose which member to write to.

Conduct rules

The detailed rules that a returning officer must apply when running an election. They are contained in legislation. For a UK Parliament election, they are in schedule 1 of the Representation of the People Act 1983. Other elections have detailed rules in other enactments, often in secondary legislation.

County council

Councils in two-tier (county and district councils) covering a whole county that provide services like education and social care.

Declaration of local connection

A declaration that can be made by some without a permanent address or fixed address so that they can register to vote. This includes homeless people or people living on houseboats.

Devolved elections

Elections where responsibility for passing legislation is devolved to the Scottish Parliament or Senedd Cymru. These are council elections in Scotland and Wales and elections to their devolved legislatures.

Directly elected mayors

Mayors in England that are elected by the electorate in the area. This includes the Mayor of London, local authority mayors (mayors of one authority) and mayors of mayoral strategic authorities (covering more than one local authority).

Disqualification order

Introduced by the Elections Act 2022. Someone can be issued with an order if they have been convicted of an intimidatory criminal offence motivated by hostility towards a candidate, future candidate or campaigner or holder of elective office.

The effect of a disqualification order is that the person will be disqualified from standing for, being elected to, and holding any relevant elective office for five years.

District council

Councils in two-tier (county and district councils) areas that cover part of a county in England. They provide services like planning, rubbish collection and recycling, and electoral registration.

Election ‘by halves’

Councils in England that elect half the local councillors every 2 years. Each councillor serves a 4-year term.

Election ‘by thirds’

Councils in England that elect one third of the local councillors every year for 3 years and hold no elections in the 4th year. Each councillor serves a 4-year term.

Electoral division

An electoral district in local government, usually for county councils, including unitary county councils in England, represented by one or more councillor. In district councils and smaller unitary councils, they are called wards.

Electoral identity card

An approved piece of photographic voter ID that is available to registered electors in Northern Ireland. The equivalent in Great Britian is a Voter Authority Certificate.

Electoral registers

The list maintained locally by the electoral registration officer of those eligible to vote and who have registered.

There are technically different registers for those eligible to vote at UK Parliament elections and those eligible to vote in local government elections. They are maintained as far as possible as a single register and marked accordingly where eligibility to vote is different for different elections.

When applying to go on the registers an applicant must provide a National Insurance number (NINo). This is used for identity verification. There is an exceptions process for those without a NINo.

Electoral registration officer (ERO)

The person responsible for the registration of electors in their area. The ERO is usually also the returning officer for the area in England and Wales. In Scotland the ERO and RO roles are separate.

The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the ERO for the whole of Northern Ireland.

Voters can find out their ERO using the Contact your electoral registration office on gov.uk

Electors

People registered to vote. Voting is not compulsory in the UK, so electors are not required to become voters.

Emergency proxy

This is where an elector appoints a proxy to vote on their behalf because of an emergency after the normal deadline for appointing a proxy.

Exceptions process

For those applying to register who cannot provide a National Insurance number. Other documentary evidence is used to verify someone’s identity. There is an attestation process for those who cannot prove their identity by the exceptions process.

First past the post (FPTP)

FPTP is the current system for electing MPs to the House of Commons and councillors in England and Wales. Winning candidates must receive more votes than any other candidate to be elected. They do not need an absolute majority of all votes cast (over 50%).

In wards where two or three councillors are elected at the same time, the candidates that finish in the top two (or three as appropriate) are elected.

Franchise

The right to vote. See also ‘Parliamentary franchise’ and ‘Local government franchise’.

Full electoral register

The full list of everyone eligible to vote in an area. See also ‘Open register’.

Imprints

An imprint is information on a piece of campaign material that tells voters who is responsible for producing it.

Imprints help voters understand who is trying to influence them. They are required on physical and digital campaign material.

Local government franchise

The right to register to vote in local government elections and appear on the local government electoral register.

Nomination papers

When standing for election the candidate must submit their nomination papers. These are the nomination paper, the home address form and the consent to nomination form.

Non-party campaigners

Also known as third-party campaigners. These are individuals or organisations that campaign to persuade people to vote in a particular way or not to vote but do not stand as candidates or as a registered political party.

Open electoral register

The open or edited register is a copy of the electoral register that is available for sale. Someone can opt out of the open register at any time. Those opted out will not appear on the open register but will appear on the full register.

Overseas voter

A British (or eligible Irish citizen) who lives outside the UK but can register to vote in UK Parliament elections using a previous address in the UK.

Overseas voters list

A list of overseas voters registered in a constituency at a UK Parliament election. Candidates in the constituency are entitled to a copy of the list for campaigning and verifying eligibility to make donations.

Parliamentary franchise

The right to register vote in UK Parliament election and appear on parliamentary registers.

Parish council

A local council that covers a civil parish in England. Also known as community, neighbourhood, and town councils. There are about 10,000 in England and they are responsible for local services such as allotments, car parks, community centres and parks. They have the power to raise money through council tax.

Personal identifiers

The information voters must provide as a security measure when applying for and returning a postal vote: signature and date of birth.

Personation

The electoral offence of pretending to be someone else to use their vote.

Polling district

A geographical area created by the sub-division of a UK parliamentary constituency for the purposes of a UK Parliament election. Polling districts, places and polling stations must be reviewed by each local authority in Great Britain at least once every five years.

Polling place

A polling place is the building or area in a polling district selected by the local authority. Polling stations will be placed in the polling place.

Polling station

A polling station is the room or area within the polling place where voting takes place.

Postal vote

Someone who cannot attend the polling station can apply in advance for a ballot to be sent to them, which they can fill out and return by post.

Applications for reserved elections in Great Britain can be made online: Apply for a postal vote. Applications for devolved elections must currently be in hard copy.

The rules for applying for postal votes in Northern Ireland are different. See the Election Office for Northern Ireland

Postal proxy

Someone who has been appointed a proxy and has requested a postal ballot to be able to cast the proxy vote.

PPERA

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which is the main statute dealing with political finance regulation and powers of the Electoral Commission.

Proxy voter

Someone who votes on behalf of someone else at a polling station.

Applications for reserved elections in Great Britain can be made online: Apply for a proxy vote. In Northern Ireland

The rules for applying for proxy votes in Northern Ireland are different. See the Election Office for Northern Ireland.

Reserved elections

Elections where responsibility for passing legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament. These are UK Parliament elections, police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales and all other elections in England and Northern Ireland.

Returning officer (RO)

A senior director of a local authority responsible for running elections in Great Britain. The Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the RO for all elections in Northern Ireland.

At UK Parliament elections in England and Wales, they are known as the Acting Returning Officer as the RO is a ceremonial role held by the county sheriff or chair of the council.

RPA 1983

The Representation of the People Act 1983, which is one of the main statues covering elections, particularly UK Parliament elections.

Service voter

A special category of electors who register to vote in all elections they are eligible for while serving overseas. This maybe HM Forces personnel or Crown servants and British Council employees serving overseas. They must make a service declaration when applying to register.

Single transferable vote (STV)

STV is a preferential voting system and operates in multi-member constituencies. It allows voters to choose between candidates as well as parties (unlike closed list proportional voting). Voters rank candidates in order of preference by marking 1, 2, 3 etc.

Candidates must obtain a certain quota of votes in order to be elected. If they exceed the quota their surplus votes are reallocated. If no candidate reaches the quota, the lowest candidate is eliminated and their votes are reallocated based on second, third, and so on preferences. This process continues until all seats have been filled.

Special category electors

These are registered electors who have special provisions entitling them to register despite not meeting the residence requirement. These electors include overseas voters, service voters, anonymous voters, and electors who have a declaration of local connection.

Rejected ballots

Ballots that cannot be counted at an election, also known as spoiled ballots. There are four reasons for rejecting a ballot:

· It is unmarked or void because it is not clear what choice the voter made

· Voting more than once in FPTP elections (or filling out he ballot wrongly in other types of elections)

· If the voter has identified themselves on the ballot

· If the ballot does not have the official mark (to prevent fake ballots being stuffed in ballot boxes).

Supplementary vote (SV)

Under SV there are two columns on the ballot paper. Voters mark an X in the first column against the name of their first-choice candidate and an X in the second column indicating their second preference.

If a candidate receives more than 50% of the first preference votes, then they are elected. If no candidate reaches the 50% mark at the first stage, then all but the two candidates with the most votes are eliminated. The second preferences of the eliminated candidates are reallocated to the top two. The candidate with the most first and second preferences votes combined is elected.

Third-party campaigner

Also known as non-party campaigners. These are individuals or organisations that campaign to persuade people to vote in a particular way or not to vote but do not stand as candidates or as a registered political party.

Treating

An electoral crime where someone during or after an election directly or indirectly gives or provides any food, drink, entertainment or provision to corruptly influence any voter to vote or refrain from voting.

Undue influence

An electoral crime where someone influences vote in a certain way, or not vote at all, using threats or violence.

Unincorporated association

An unincorporated association is “an association of individuals who have come together to carry out a shared purpose” that can donate to a political party, such as a members’ club or a group of councillors.

Unitary authority

Councils in areas with a single tier of government providing all services. In some areas there may also be a strategic authority providing some services like fire, police and public transport, across a wider area, for example the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

VAC or Voter Authority Certificate

A form of photo ID created by the Elections Act 2022 for use by people who do not have another form of acceptable photo ID in a polling station.

Voters

People who are registered electors and who cast a ballot in an election.

Voter ID

Required ID that must be shown at polling stations for reserved elections. An elector must show the ID before being issued with a ballot paper. Information on accepted types of voter ID is available on the Electoral Commission website.

Ward

An electoral district in local government represented by one or more councillor. It usually refers to a subdivision of a unitary authority, district council or a parish. For county councils and county unitary authorities they are usually called electoral divisions.